Just one year after her commissioning in Newport, Rhode Island, Normandy sailed into action in order to support the multinational effort to free Kuwait.

Normandy fired 26 Tomahawk cruise missiles, protected allied ships and aircraft in the area, conducted maritime interdiction operations, and helped to locate and destroy enemy mines.

[1] On 11 August 1995, Normandy and the America Battle Group deployed to the Adriatic Sea in support of United Nations efforts with the war-torn Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In a historic first, Normandy embarked nine World War II veterans on 18 May 1994, for commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings on the coast of France.

Over 15,000 visitors toured the ship while Normandy's honor guard embarked veterans participated in various memorial services and events on both sides of the English Channel.

[2] The cruiser used a new type of Tomahawk missile, the Block-III model, which included for the first time GPS guidance in combination with its TERCOM system based on topographic maps.

This action sent a strong signal of United States resolve and played a significant role in convincing the Bosnian Serb government to cease hostilities and resume peace negotiations.

During the six-month deployment Normandy again served as Adriatic air-space controller for Operation Deny Flight, Sharp Guard, and Decisive Endeavor.

In a record-setting five days, Normandy and George Washington entered the Persian Gulf and joined the Nimitz Battle Group in an impressive show of force and United Nation resolve to Iraq.

Throughout this deployment, Normandy achieved more than 300 mishap-free hours of flight operations, conducted 27 underway replenishments and sailed a total of 48,000 miles (77,000 km).

On 8 October 2023, the day after the Hamas attack on Israel, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, directed the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean in response.

Normandy’s embarked air detachment, the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, flew 393 sorties, totaling 1,132 hours flown.

[6] On 25 March 2005, Normandy left the East Coast with the assault ship Kearsarge ESG, deployed to the Mediterranean and Northern Persian Gulf.

On 20 April 2015, Normandy along with Theodore Roosevelt were deployed off the coast of Yemen to intercept suspected Iranian weapons shipments intended for the Houthi rebels, who are locked in battle with Yemeni government forces.

The chevron is broken and thrust forward, denoting the assault landing and the "breaking through" the enemy defenses; it is white for honor and integrity, edged with red for valor, sacrifice, and bloodshed.The pole star signifies the Allied Forces that joined for the Normandy Invasion.

The gold lion, adopted from the Coat of Arms of Normandy, France, represents the location of the assault and characterizes the courage, strength, and determination of the invasion forces.

He grasps an inflamed trident in honor of Neptune, mythological lord of the sea, and code name for the Navy's crucial gunfire support and the delivery of land forces in the Battle of Normandy.